Dark Souls: The Art of Frustration

Most people in fandoms understand frustration. Your story arch isn't going the way you expected, the character you're lovelorn for is killed, favourite show cancelled after one season; we know pain. Gamers know these frustrations all too well. You don't have to be a hardcore player to become invested with what you're playing; just a few hours with a controller in your hands can hook you completely on an emotional level. However, just because you're frustrated doesn't mean you're not having one hell of a time.

Dark Souls isn't like most games whose plots are cut and dry in telling, this story is left largely up to the player to interpret. You begin your journey as a human marked with the Darksign, the curse of the Undead. Left to die, and be reborn as an Undead, the player must escape their cell and begin their decent in to dungeons and madness. The lore is nearly unending in this game; your ending is your own, and what you make of the story is up to you.

Gameplay: The game is very punishing. Each death is a learning experience that you should use to test your skill. Use crucial areas like bonfires to repair armour, reinforce weapons, and spend souls to level up. Weapons are, thankfully, plenty and restoratives like Estus and Humanity can sometimes be useful; other times it's just easier to die and recollect souls.If you've purchased Dark Souls for PC use a controller. If you attempt to just use your keyboard and mouse, you're probably not going to be leaving the beginning area. While there are “fixes” they're not always reliable. I wasn't aware of this when I purchased the game so I was forced to go purchase a USB controller.

Graphics: It should go without saying that Dark Souls is a very dark game. The surrounding areas are grisly and twisted, and it only gets worse as you progress. Monsters are incredibly grotesque and really are what nightmares are made of. I'm a sucker for character creation and found this area a little lacking, but I quickly forgot about it after my first beastie came barrelling down on me.

Difficulty: You're going to die... a lot. There's just no beating around the bush. Progression is not fast at all and I can guarantee a lot of swearing; but don't let the constant fear of dismemberment deter you from trying out this fantastically grotesque game. I recommend getting yourself a nice cup of tea, playing some calming music, and embrace your repeated undoing.

Dark Souls is everything I get frustrated with in gaming, all rolled up in to one neat little package with a nice bow of despair on top. Death is going to happen, over and over and over again. In fact, the first achievement you receive is to die; but that doesn't mean that it's not a very enjoyable game. Watching others play can be a hilarious good time; just make sure your buddy also has a sense of humour or else the game isn't the only thing you should fear.